Chapter 5 5

Butler Lane had no choice but to escort Harper up to the tenth floor of the hotel-to the Young Master Gallagher's suite.

In his eyes, she looked like a furious little wildcat, shouting for the Gallagher family to give her back her innocence!

Harper lay stiffly on the huge bed, silently rehearsing her plan for revenge.

When the door creaked open, she drew a sharp breath and instinctively shut her eyes, bracing herself for what was about to happen.

The memories of her previous life's torment flashed vividly before her eyes.

The man everyone called the Young Master of the Gallagher family-President of the GG Group-was Chase Gallagher, her former fiancé.

Rumor had it he was a pervert who only liked virgins and had... performance issues. He preferred to watch rather than participate.

That was why Amara had handed this "golden opportunity" to climb the social ladder to Harper, not her sister Phoebe.

That night, in her past life, she'd been tortured to the brink of death-all because of him.

If murder weren't illegal, she wouldn't have brought a micro camera tonight-she'd have brought a knife.

This time, she would expose every twisted act of his and destroy him completely.

Footsteps approached outside the door.

Gritting her teeth, Harper loosened her robe's belt, leaving herself half-exposed.

But for a long moment, nothing happened.

When she finally opened her eyes, she met a pair of icy, soul-piercing eyes.

Under the dim, flickering light, the tall man stood like a wild predator-cold, sharp, dangerous, and impossible to ignore.

His gaze locked on her with arrogant intensity, his presence so overwhelming she nearly forgot to breathe.

So this was the infamous, twisted Young Master Gallagher.

Her first instinct was fear.

He was ten years older-thirty, at the peak of a man's desires-yet here she was, baring herself before him, and he didn't even flinch?

Their eyes met, and the silence between them grew unbearable.

He stood over her, a pair of stark white gloves catching the light.

His voice was low and frigid. "What do you want me to do?"

"Prove that I'm clean," Harper whispered, her clear eyes fixed stubbornly on him.

Chase lifted the hem of his shirt slightly, revealing chiseled abs and sharp muscle lines.

Her heart skipped a beat. If he wasn't the impotent man the rumors claimed he was, she was in serious trouble.

He moved closer-his gloved hand slid from her shoulder to her neck.

Then, with sudden force, his fingers clamped around her throat.

"So, you managed to escape after all," he said in a low, dangerous tone that felt like chains wrapping around her soul.

"I changed my mind..." she breathed, her lips trembling, but her eyes burned with a strange excitement.

He really was a monster.

Her oxygen-starved brain flashed back to that night from her past life-the humiliation, the pain, the faceless men...

"Let me be your woman," she said suddenly, forcing sincerity into her voice.

But in his eyes, a storm gathered-his gaze roamed from her lips to her collarbone.

The bruises marring her fair skin stood out vividly, like dark blossoms blooming on snow-painful yet irresistibly tempting.

His eyes darkened, his breathing heavy.

His hand moved to her thigh, sliding slowly upward.

"So, what you really want," he murmured harshly, "is to crawl into my bed under the pretense of a virginity test?"

His crude words stripped away her last shred of dignity. Shame burned through her like fire, melting her focus on revenge.

Those white gloves seemed to sear wherever they touched.

"N-no..." she stammered, face flushed.

"No?"

Chase let out a cold laugh. "You wanted to be engaged to me, yet you ran off with another man. Now you ask me to verify your purity? Who do you think I am, Harper?"

Her eyes widened, heart pounding.

"I did it for you-for your reputation, Young Master," she said quickly.

His expression darkened, a cruel smirk tugging at his lips. "For me?"

Before she could respond, he reached beside her and picked up a small flower-shaped hairpin.

"What's this?"

"H-hairpin..." she said, panicked, trying to snatch it back.

His sharp gaze swept from the hairpin to her flushed face.

"Tired of living, are you?"

Her heart jumped into her throat. The tiny camera hidden inside the pin would expose everything.

"It's just to prove I'm innocent-so no one can question you," she said weakly.

His face turned to stone.

He narrowed his eyes, studying her as if seeing right through her lies.

Then-crack!

The micro camera shattered in his fist.

For a long moment, silence hung heavy.

When he finally spoke, his voice was low and cold enough to freeze the air.

"Get out."

Cold sweat drenched Harper's back. She had no idea how she even made it back to her room.

She'd failed.

Chase was far more terrifying than she ever imagined.

A sudden ding made her jump.

It was a message from Butler Lane, saying her parents were still waiting for her downstairs in the banquet hall.

Harper stared into the mirror. The reflection that looked back at her was both familiar and foreign-eighteen years old, young and vibrant, a face full of life, a body still full of strength.

Her parents had given her life in her previous one, yes-but they had never acted like real parents. They'd eloped for love when they were young, then abandoned her to be raised by her grandfather. Through all her childhood and growing years, they had never once been there.

Every ounce of pain, every humiliation at the hands of Phoebe, every shadow of insecurity she carried-it all started because of them.

And in this life?

She let out a faint, bitter laugh. Her fate no longer belonged to them. This time, she didn't owe them anything-not love, not forgiveness.

When she descended the grand staircase, she spotted Marlene leaning against Blake's shoulder as if asleep.

Ha... so that's love? What a joke.

She cleared her throat lightly. "Ahem."

Marlene stirred, her eyes fluttering open. When she saw Harper standing before her, she gasped in relief and joy. "Harper! You-you're okay?"

Harper's face remained expressionless. Her voice was calm and distant. "I came to tell you that you were never part of my life before, and from now on, you don't need to be."

Marlene and Blake exchanged a silent, pained glance.

"Harper," Marlene's voice trembled, "We know we wronged you-"

"No need to apologize."

Harper cut her off sharply and turned to leave.

"Harper, stop!" Blake's voice boomed, deep and commanding.

Her steps faltered, but she didn't turn around.

"Your mother and I came to tell you-don't get involved with the Gallagher family!" he said firmly behind her.

Her eyes darkened, but she said nothing.

"Harper! That engagement to the Gallagher family-it's just your grandfather's selfish idea!"

That made her turn around.

For a moment, she just stared at them, thinking she must've misheard.

"What did you just say? Selfish?"

A bitter smile curved her lips as she nodded slowly. "You're right about one thing-you do know all about selfishness. For the sake of your own love, you abandoned me, left me to fend for myself, ruined my life..."

Her throat tightened as the memories of her past life flooded in. "I'll never forgive you for your selfishness."

Her words struck like thunder. Marlene nearly fainted, bursting into tears. "Harper, I'm sorry! I'm so, so sorry! It's our fault-your father's and mine! Please, come home with me, okay?"

But Harper's heart was already dead.

She stood there like a flagpole in the wind, unshaken no matter how hard her mother tried to pull her back.

It was too late.

"Go home?" The phrase sounded like a cruel joke. After everything-after the humiliation, the hatred, the loss-they wanted her to go home, as if she could just forgive and forget out of some misplaced mercy.

Mercy? To hell with mercy.

Her eyes burned red as she wrenched her arm free. "There's no home to go back to! I have no parents-do you hear me?!"

Marlene's tearful eyes widened, her knees giving out. She nearly collapsed, and Blake caught her just in time.

Harper thought that saying such cruel words to her parents would feel satisfying, like ripping off a mask and exposing a liar. But it didn't.

Instead, an ache bloomed in her chest-one she didn't want to admit.

That's enough, Harper. From now on, you're on your own. You don't need them. You don't need anyone.

They still have their love.

And you-you have your vengeance.

Anyone who hurt you in your past life will pay double in this one.

***